In this video, I’ve tried to synchronize video from a camcorder with the in flight camera. I think it turned out really well. I wish I knew how to make the canvas larger in iMovie so I could put the video side-by-side. If you select the highest quality (480, I think) and make it full screen, I think it looks pretty good.
This video is from Tom and I trying to fly in some kind of formation so I could record his plane in flight. It was very challenging because my plane is a lot faster than his. I was flying on the brink of a stall most of the time while he was full-throttle. There’s a moment where we almost had a midair. We didn’t, so no harm.
Comparing antennas
I’ve finished building the first (and my first) Yagi antenna for the Kadet video downlink. I mentioned in the first video post that a new, and better, antenna would help greatly. Read more…
amateur radio, antenna, Construction, electronics, HAM, Kadet, LT-25, Projects, Radio Control, SIG, Soldering, Techniques, video, Wireless
The weather sucked, but I was able to get out the the field this morning. I recorded about 17 minutes of video in total. In the embedded clip, I edited out the majority of the static. I’m a little disappointed that the signal quality is so poor. I found a site that has some cheap Yagi antenna designs in 50 and 75 ohms. I’ll probably try to build one this week and see how it goes.
More information about the camera is available in these posts, if you haven’t already seen them.
electronics, HAM, Kadet, LT-25, Projects, Radio Control, SIG, Wireless
Painted to match
Taking advantage of the crummy weather, I decided to paint the camera module to match my plane. I didn’t just do it for the aesthetics, no really, I swear. 
Actually, the real reason I painted it was to prevent stray light from making annoying reflections on the inside of the window.
Read more…
Camera installed with Transmitter
I’ve just finished building a camera module for my Kadet. When I was building the plane I knew that I was going to try and put a camera and transmitter approximately where the pilot’s head would be in a real plane. Read more…
amateur radio, electronics, FPV, HAM, Kadet, LT-25, Mods, Projects, Radio Control, SIG, Soldering, video, Wireless
Ready to fly at the BCRCC Polar Bear
I’m back from the third (and fourth) flight, and it keeps getting better! On Friday (New Years Day) I went to the BCRCC (Benton County Radio Control Club) “Polar Bear” event. Basically, the idea is: On new years day, rain or shine, everyone comes and flies something. There is a raffle for all those that fly. I brought the Kadet, mostly because that’s the only plane I have, and the tiny Blade mSR that I got for X-mas. Read more…
Blade mSR, Corvallis, Funtana, Helicopter, Kadet, LT-25, oregon, Projects, Radio Control, SIG, Updates
I’ve been developing a RF transceiver for use with my Kadet. I really like these Micrel RadioWire modules, but they basically must be reflow soldered. They’re also about $16/ea. in single unit quantities, so I want to make sure that the carrier PCB works before I solder on the module (I’ve made that mistake already!). With that in mind, I had to figure out how to solder the module on after all the other components were installed. This means hand soldering. Looking on the datasheet, they say that it can be done, using solder paste. So, here’s documentation of my attempt.
PCB ready for module
Read more…
amateur radio, electronics, HAM, Kadet, Projects, Serial, Soldering, Techniques, Tools, Wireless
This weekend I was blessed with some good (great) weather. Saturday morning was cold, but very calm and clear.
My friend Tom agreed to be my test pilot for the first (well, second 
) flight. He got it all trimmed and ready to fly. I say it was the second flight because while I was taxiing it around, I decided “what the hell” and decided to fly it… Well it didn’t end that well.
Takeoff cartwheel
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Cartwheel, Corvallis, Flight, Kadet, LT-25, Projects, Radio Control, SIG
I’ve just finished building the first radio controlled airplane kit since, i don’t know, over a decade. I tried to build one 8 yeas ago, but never finished. Anyway, It’s pretty exciting. I’ll share some of the building process with you. My intent from the beginning of the project was to build a arial platform for autopilot development, photography, and, perhaps, an attempt at FPV (first-person video).
With those goals in mind I decided to select a “trainer,” which is a very stable plane intended for teaching new pilots. There are several advantages to a trainer in this context. In a way, I’m training an autopilot to fly, so it’s a fitting. In addition, a typical trainer has a simple, boxy fuselage. I think that the simplified geometry should be easier to build around. The individual plane I settled on is the SIG Kadet LT-25, and my mom was nice enough to get it for my for christmas a few years ago.
Official photo of the Kadet
I wanted the plane to be on the small side because I’m 100% electric for all my planes and helicopters. I don’t have any investment in nitromethane power, and I don’t want any. It’s stinky, loud, dirty and annoying. At the same time, electric power is getting better and better. The batteries are increasingly amazing in their capacity and power. Unfortunately, I don’t have any early building photos. But, I’ll talk about some of the photos I do have: Read more…
Corvallis, Kadet, LT-25, oregon, Photos, Projects, Radio Control, SIG
This should be a nice google wave thing. I don’t have sandbox access, even though I have a preview account… weird.
Anyway, when I get one this apparently will work for me. To even see what’s on here, you need wave sandbox access.
Read more…
Google, wave
